Jake Epstein
Epstein in 2016
Born	Jacob Lee Epstein (1987-01-16)January 16, 1987 (age 38) Toronto,Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)	Actor, singer
Years active	1999–present
Spouse	Vanessa Smythe (m. 2018)
Children	1
Mother	Kathy Kacer

Jacob Lee Epstein^[1] (born January 16, 1987) is a Canadian actor and singer. He is known for playingCraig Manning, a musician withbipolar disorder, onDegrassi: The Next Generation. He has also had recurring roles in the television series Designated Survivor and The Hardy Boys.

On Broadway, Epstein originated the role ofGerry Goffin inBeautiful: The Carole King Musical. He has also starred as Melchior in the national tour ofSpring Awakening and played Will in the national tour ofAmerican Idiot.

Epstein was born inToronto,Ontario. His mother,Kathy Kacer, is aNorma Fleck Award-winning writer of children's stories about theHolocaust, and his father is a lawyer.^[2][3] He also has an older sister, Gabi, who is an actress and jazz singer.^[2]

Epstein isJewish, and was raised inConservative Judaism.^[4][5] Epstein stated in 2019, "I would consider myself spiritually Jewish rather than religiously Jewish."^[6]

Epstein made his professional stage debut in a production ofOur Town, which played at theRoyal Alexandra Theatre in 1999.^[7] After this, Epstein played theArtful Dodger in a production ofOliver!. The musical played at thePrincess of Wales Theatre between November 2, 1999 and January 2, 2000.^[7]

In 2009, he starred as C.B. (Charlie Brown) in a Canadian production ofDog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.^[8] Later that year, Epstein joined the first national tourSpring Awakening, where he replacedKyle Riabko as Melchior Gabor. His first performance with the tour was on July 7, 2009, and stayed with the tour until it ended in 2010.^[9]

In July 2011, Epstein joined the original Canadian production ofBilly Elliot the Musical. He played the role of Tony Elliot, Billy's older brother, in the production which played at theCanon Theatre in Toronto. After that show closed, Epstein played Will in the first national tour ofAmerican Idiot, which began in December 2011. In a 2013 interview, Epstein said that Will was the most challenging role had had ever played. He said, "I sat on a couch and never left the stage for the majority of the show. That experience was a whole lesson in pacing, in creating a whole world for yourself on stage..."^[1]

In 2012, Epstein made his Broadway debut inSpider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which played at theFoxwoods Theatre. He was the alternate for the lead role ofPeter Parker/Spider-Man. Epstein referred to the role as a "childhood fantasy come true."^[10]

Epstein was cast asGerry Goffin inBeautiful: The Carole King Musical, oppositeJessie Mueller.^[11] The musical had a pre-Broadway engagement at theCurran Theatre inSan Francisco, where it played September 24 and October 20, 2013. He then originated the role when it transferred to Broadway, where it began performances at theStephen Sondheim Theatre on November 12, 2013. Epstein later shared that playing Carole's ex-husband was uniquely challenging because Carole encouraged him to not portray Gerry as the villain, even though the script changes increasingly presented him that way.^[10][12] He left the show in 2014 after a year of performances, citing vocal problems and fatigue of playing a real person being portrayed as brooding and villainous.^[2] However, Epstein temporarily returned to the show in 2016, where he reprised his role opposite fellow Canadian actorChilina Kennedy, who starred as Carole.^[2]

In 2016, Epstein starred as a closeted gay man in theoff-Broadway showStraight.^[13][14] He said of the script:

"What resonated with me is how a straight person is just a person, but a gay person is a gay person—it's part of the title you give somebody...I thought the whole angle that the play takes about not a fear of coming out but a fear of definition, a fear of being labeled as a gay man, was an argument that's not really made in our sort of post-acceptance society. It's not about a guy who's afraid of coming out..."^[13]

At the 2019Toronto Fringe Festival, Epstein premiered his solocabaret showBoy Falls From the Sky. The show is a retelling of his experiences in show business, including his time onDegrassi: The Next Generation, the challenges of auditioning for musicals, and his experiences on the ill-fated musicalSpider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.^[15] Epstein was encouraged to write the show at the encouragement of his wife, who he credits with helping him realizing the power and authenticity of "...somebody with a microphone, telling a true story, something that's funny or horrific or whatever..."^[12]Mirvish Productions expressed interest in the show, and presented it at theRoyal Alexandra Theatre between April 19 and May 29, 2022 and received widespread positive reviews.^[2] Epstein has since performed the show across Canada, including inHamilton,Barrie, and inQuebec at theSegal Centre for Performing Arts.^[16][17][18]

Epstein will star as Frank Carter in the pre-Broadway engagement of Life After, which will play at theEd Mirvish Theatre in Toronto between April 16 and May 4, 2025.^[19]

After appearing on the TV showThe Zack Files, he played Craig Manning onDegrassi: The Next Generation for five seasons and won theGemini Award.^[20] The character of Craig became a musician on the show and had to cope with parental abuse andbipolar disorder. Epstein said, "At the time, mental illness was not really something anyone was talking about. There was a huge stigma attached — I had never seen [bipolar disorder] on TV, and certainly not in a teenager. I loved the opportunity to portray someone who was conflicted and not perfect..." Craig impregnated a girl named Manny who gets an abortion, and Epstein noted that those episodes were "initially banned" in the United States.^[21] Epstein indicated that he "got the chance to really flesh out this guy that felt like a darker extension of me."^[22]

He leftDegrassi during the fifth season to attend theNational Theatre School of Canada in Montreal and made theater his new focus. Epstein said, "One of the things I love about theatre is how raw it is. There's no faking it… I really wanted to have a base in theatre, and that kind of opened up all these doors for me." Epstein returned toDegrassi for minor guest appearances in season 6–8.^[23]

Epstein played "geeky FBI computer nerd" Chuck Russink in the American TV showDesignated Survivor (2016–2018). It was cancelled by ABC after two seasons, and he was no longer in the show when it was picked up and aired by Netflix for a third season.^[24]

Epstein married actress Vanessa Smythe in 2018. They welcomed their first child, son Miles August Epstein, on May 25, 2023.^[25]

• 2008:Music from Degrassi: The Next Generation ("My Window")
• 2009:Degrassi Goes Hollywood: Music from the Original Movie ("Rescue You" and "Swan Song")
• 2014:Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

• Official website
• Jake Epstein atIMDb 
• Jake Epstein discography atDiscogs

• 1987 births
• Living people
• 21st-century Canadian male actors
• Canadian male child actors
• Canadian male film actors
• Canadian male singers
• Canadian male television actors
• Canadian male voice actors
• Canadian Screen Award winning actors
• Jewish Canadian male actors
• Jewish Canadian musicians
• Jewish singers
• Male actors from Toronto
• Singers from Toronto
• National Theatre School of Canada alumni

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